Ball frame for shaker chutes



Dec. 5, 1933. U c

BALL FRAME FOR SHAKER CHUTES Filed July 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEM OR 07205 ZZ. 326/? ATTORNEY Dec. 5, 1933. 1,937,592

BALL FRAME FOR SHAKER CHUTES Filed July 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l: INVENTOR 12077010 Z/ Ezciz ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 5, 1933 BALL FRAME 1,937,592 FOR. HAKER CHUTES Donald U. Rich, Teaneck, N. J., assignor to. American Car and Foundry Company, New 7 York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey I Application July15, 1932. Serial No. 622,629

7 10 Claims. (Cl. 198-420) This invention relates generally to reciprocating conveyors of the trough type usually employed in mines and for various other purposes and known in the art as shaker chutes.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved 'ball frame for shaker chutes.

Reciprocating conveyors of the type involved are composed usually of a plurality of trough sections suitably connected end to end to form a unit which is reciprocated by means of a suitable power driven device. At intervals these trough sections are supported for reciprocation in a desired manner by elements known in theart as ball frames. The present invention is directed to such an element. During the reciprocation of these conveyors forces arise which act in an upward direction and tend to buckle the conveyor. Forces also arise which tend to shift the conveyor sidewise. In view of the tendency for buckling and sidewise shifting the present invention contemplates a ball frame for a reciprocating conveyor which is so formed as to prevent exvI-shaped in plan in the instance shown, processive sidewise and verticalshifting of the conveyor but still provide a construction in which reciprocation of the conveyor is readily effected.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ball frame for reciprocating conveyors which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture and strong and durable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following descrip tion taken in conjunction with the accompany-- ing drawings in which: i Figure 1 is a top plan view of one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thedevice shown in Fig.1, the view having certain parts broken away to disclose other parts in section and also showing a portion of a trough section associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1 showing a trough section in association therewith.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, showing a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view, partly in section, showing another modification of the con struction shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. dis a top plan view of another and niodi fied form of the invention. Y

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 6.

guidingrecesses 27 each of which receivesla re- Fig. 8 is an end view of 'the construction shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of body member. I r

Fig. 10 is an end view of the construction I shown in Fig. 9, and] c ,7 Fig. 11 is a fragmentarydetail view of a por-' tion of the construction illustrated in Fig. 8. I

Referring now more particularly to Figspl, .2. and 3, the ball frame of the present invention, comprises a base frame A and a reciprocable' body member B with which a trough sectionc of a. conveyor is connected in a manner such as more clearly described hereinafter;

, The base frame A comprises a pair of spaced supporting members 2, downwardly facing chana modified form of :nels in the instance shown, connected by upwardlyffacing,parallel arranged channel mem-. bers 4 which constitute guideways or track members for suitable anti-friction elements such as the balls 6 which are adapted torch in the members 4 and which support the body member B.

The body member B comprises a metal plate 8,

vided with a slot 10 to receive, the depending 0 flange 12 (see Fig. 3) of a connector 14 secured to the underside of the trough'section C; The connector 14 may be anangle or a T as desired, suitably connected to the trough section as by being riveted or welded thereto.

The sideedges of the body member B are down wardly flanged as at 16 for; stiffening purposesf and portions 18 of said flanges are arranged 'betweenthe parallel flanges or legs '20 of the members 4 to constitute end barriers for limiting movement of the balls 6 as well as to provide scraper members to forceforeign matter such as coal dust orthe like out'of the channels4 either at the ends thereof or through suitable openings 22 formed of the webs 24 of said channels.

The end edge portions of the body member B are downwardlyand inwardly bent as by being flanged at 26 to form longitudinally'extending straining flange28 formed ,as an upwardly ii clined extension of one of the flanges 20 ofeach of the guideways 4 whereby the body member is guided during reciprocation on the balls6. The interengagement of theguideways 4 and body member B at "the recesses 27 also provides a con,- struction in which extensive vertical and side- Wise shifting of the body member relati'veto the frame isprevented. f a j The construction shown in Fig. 4. is quite similar to that disclosed in Figs. 1-3 inclusive but'in this instance the body member B has its end edges downwardly and then inwardly flanged as at 30 to lie parallel with the main portion of thebody member B and parallel with a flange 32 which ex-' tends at substantially right angles to the upstand-' ing flange of the channel member 4. In the instance shown in Fig. 4 it is obvious. that excessive vertical shifting of the body member B relative to the channel 4 is prevented by contactof the flange 30 with the flange 32 of channel member 4. Excessive sidewise shifting of the body member B relative to the channel 4 is, in Fig. 4, prevented by contact of the edge portion flange of the end of the body member B.

In Fig; 5 the body member 13 has its end portions downwardly flanged as at 36 and then inwardly flanged at 38, the flange 38 underlyingthe outwardlyv extending flange 40 of a z-section 42 toprovide a space 46 throughwhich'foreign' matter such as coal dust or the like may pass to prevent clogging of the guideway;

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 there is disclosed an arrangement in which the body member, indicated gen- ,erally at D, is mounted on a supporting or base frame comprising the channels 2 and a pair of parallel guideways or track members, the upper and lower members of which are separated by the anti-friction balls 6 interposed therebetween and the upper membersof which guideways are connected to the body member D. The guideways comprise the spaced, oppositely arranged 2- sections 48, the upper flanges 50 of which incline upwardly as shown clearly in Fig. 8, and the upper members of the guideways comprise plates 52 to whichthe body member D is welded as at 54, the outer edge portions of said members 52 being downwardly and then inwardly flanged as at 56 to underlie'the beforementioned flanges .50 of the angles48. The inner edge portions of the members 50 are downwardly flanged as at 58 and obviously cooperate in the construction in 'sucha manner as to provideinner walls for the guideways to retain the balls 6 against displacement. To furnish stiffness for the body member Djthe side edge portions thereof, intermediate the guideway members 50, are downwardly flanged as at 60 and the members 50are so formed as to provide depending flanges 62 to serve as end barriers to retain the balls 6 in their guide In the construction shown in Figs l and 6 spacers64are secured in the guideways to retainthe balls in spaced relation. v

In the construction shown inFigs. 6- 8 inclusive. it .is apparent that a space 66 is provided the full length of the upper members 50of the guideways through which any foreign matter such as'coal dust or the like may escape to prevent clogging of the guideways. The Z-sections 48 maybe welded to the channels 2 but in the instance. shown they are riveted'as at 68 and the lower edge portion of the end barriers 62 are provided with arcuate recesses to clear the rivets 7 during reciprocation of the body member.

a member comprising a substantially rectangular I plate 170; having its ,end 'edge portionsdown- 'wardlyand'inwardly bent as at '72 and the end barriers inthis instance comprise angle-shaped clips 74 welded as at 76 to the plate '70 and ar- From the above description it is believed that the construction and operation of the ball frame of thepresent invention will be fully apparent to those skilled in the art. Referring to the construction shown in Figs; 1-3 inclusive, reciprocation of the trough section 14 will cause shifting of the bodymember B on the balls 6. Should there be a tendency for the body member Bto shift vertically relative to the base frame, it is apparent that this isprevented by contact of the flanges 26 withthe flanges -28 of thechannel members 4. Tendency of sidewise shifting of the trough and body member is prevented by contact of the flanges 26 with the flanges 28.

In the construction shown in Figs. 6-8 inclu sive, reciprocation of the body member of the i ball frame takes place on the balls 6 in a manner similar to that described with relation to Figs. 1-3 inc1usive. In Figs. 1--3 foreign matter such as coal dust orthe like is pushed 'fromthe endsof channels 4 by the flanges 18 and. alsois discharged from the' channels 4- through the openings 22. In the construction shown in Fig.

5 the foreign matter is easily andquickly expelled from between the members 42 and 44 form'mg the guideway through thespa'ce 46. provided therebetween. In-Figs. 6-8 inclusive, due

stood that. they are forillustrative purposes only and various changes in the form and proportions of the construction'shownmay be made within the scopeof the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Whatisclaimed is:- V a 1. In a ball frame for shaker chutes, spaced upper race members each having an inwardly facing longitudinal guiding recess, a' bo'dy'member connecting the upper race members, lower race members having portions projecting into said recesses, and anti friction elements supported on the lower race members in a planebe-. low the projecting portions of said lower race members and on which said upper'race members are reciprocable.

2. The combination with a trough memberof" substantially coextensive therewith and ar' "ranged alongopposite portions thereof, track members having portions only thereof extended a into said recesses, and anti-friction elements.

supported on said track members in a plane b31OW the extended portions of said members and on which said body member is supported.

3. A ball frame for shakerohutes comprising channel-shaped; track members, anti-friction elements in said track members, a body member supported for reciprocation on said antifriction elements and provided with guiding recesses embracing portions of said track members whereby during reciprocation of said body member excessive vertical and sidewise shifting-there of relative to the track members is prevented,

I and scraper members depending from said body member into the track members adapted during reciprocation of the body member to clear the track members of foreignmatter.

4. A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising channel-shaped track members, anti-friction elements in said track members, and a trough supporting body member supported for reciprocation on said anti-friction elements and provided with guiding recesses embracing portions of said track members in such a manner that during reciprocation of said body member excessive vertical and sidewise shifting thereof relative to the track members is prevented.

5. A ball frame for shaker chutes comprising a base frame, spaced pairs of members secured to the base frame, the members of each pair beingrelatively so formed as to constitute a guideway, anti-friction elements supported for shifting movement in said guideways, and a trough supporting body member supported for reciprocation on said anti-friction elements and having portions thereof lapping portions of the guideways in a plane above that at which the antifriction elements are supported and in such a manner as to cooperate therewith to prevent excessive sidewise and vertical shifting of the body provide guiding recesses into which the beforementioned extensions project. v

7. In a ball frame for shaker chutes including a'base frame having guideways and anti-friction elements therein, a trough supporting body member comprising a flat plate I extended between said guideways and provided with flanged edge portions certain of which are arranged in the'guideways and others of which are so formed and arranged relative to the guideways as to 00- wardly and inwardly flanged to provide guiding 1 recesses, and angle shaped clips secured to the remaining edge portions of theplate and arranged adjacent said recesses.

9. In a ball frame'for shaker chutes, a base frame including a pair of angle members having the legs thereof horizontally and vertically ar-] ranged respectively, upper portions'of the verti-" cal legs thereof being outwardly flanged, a trough supporting plate, angle members secured to opposite portions of said plate and having portions of the horizontal legs thereof downwardly flanged to underlie the flanges of said first-named angles,

the vertical legs of said second-named angles being arranged substantially parallel with the vertical legs of the first-named angles to form therewith channel shaped guideways, and antifriction elements arranged in' said guideways and on which said second-named angles are reciprocable. J

10. A ball frame for shaker chutes compr-ising a supporting frame including spaced guideways,

anti-friction elements supported in saidguideways, and a plate reciprocably supported by said anti-friction elements and having portions thereranged as to receive portions of said guideways therein in a plane above that at whichthe antifriction elements are supported whereby the of formed to constitute guiding recesses so arplate is restrained against excessive sidewise and vertical shifting during" reciprocation.

DONALD U. RICH; 

